We adhere to strict standards of editorial integrity to help you make decisions with confidence. Please be aware that some (or all) products and services linked in this article are from our sponsors. You’ve probably already seen what pandemic-fueled inflation looks like if you recently bought groceries, gassed up your car or went shopping for furniture.
Shortages of goods and workers throughout the COVID-19 pandemic have pushed inflation to its highest levels in decades, and prices will likely continue to surge, with various forecasts anticipating this inflation will carry into the new year.
One way to fight back against rising prices is to by taking advantage of some simple ways to stretch and save your money in your day-to-day life.
Here are 13 ideas on how to effectively give yourself a raise — and kick inflation to the curb. baranq / Shutterstock High-interest debt from credit cards and personal loans can be a major drain on your bank balance, especially if you’re making only the minimum payments each month.
To break free from your debt ASAP, you might take out a debt consolidation loan . You’ll trade in all of your current balances — on credit cards, loans, everything — for a single monthly payment at a lower interest rate.
You can borrow money with no collateral at rates as low as 5.95%. Depending on how much interest you’re currently paying on your debts, consolidating them could save you thousands of dollars and help you become debt-free years sooner. 2. Hunt down your long-lost money
You do know where all your money is, right?
Actually, people move on and forget all about money in old accounts all the time. It’s so common that Americans currently have more than $40 billion in unclaimed funds waiting for them.
Is any of that yours? Search MissingMoney.com, which will show if you left any money in an old checking or savings account, or if you’re entitled to unclaimed life insurance policies from relatives who have passed away. (You’ll want to be much more careful when you buy your own life insurance policy .)
You also should check with the IRS to see if there are any tax refunds you’re missing. You can amend your previous tax returns for up to three years if you were eligible for a refund but neglected to claim it. 3. Refinance to a cheaper student loan
Krakenimages.com / Shutterstock Payments on federal student loans have been on a long pause, but if you owe student debt to a bank or other private lender, you’ve been on the hook for your regular monthly minimum all along.
The good news is that interest rates on student loan refinances are close to all-time lows, so you can pay off your current debt with a new private loan that’s cheaper.
When you refinance a student loan to a lower rate , your monthly payment goes down — allowing you to pay off your college debt more quickly allowing you to stretch your money.
You can find quotes from multiple lenders in just minutes, so shop around and make sure you’re getting the best rate possible. 4. Use technology to save every time you shop online
If you do most of your shopping online — and nowadays, who doesn’t? — you likely go to the same website again and again. You know the one.
But Amazon doesn’t always have the best prices, and nobody has time to price-check every store.
You can let technology do that work for you. You might download a free browser extension that will automatically find you deals and coupon codes every time you shop online.
You also can set price-drop alerts for your favorite products, so if they go on sale, you’ll be the first to know. Installation of the add-on takes just a moment and could save you hundreds of dollars a year. 5. Turn your old playthings into a payday
Willrow Hood / Shutterstock Got a closet full of collectibles? Well, maybe the time has finally come to say goodbye that stuff and sell it online — because it might be worth more than you think.For example, some of your toys from the 1970s and ’80s could fetch hundreds of dollars — maybe even thousands — if you’ve kept them in good condition.Selling stuff on eBay is relatively simple, but if you’ve never done it before, check out this handy guide on how to get started . 6. Slash your car insurance bills If you’ve got a car and aren’t shopping around for cheaper insurance every six months, you could easily be overpaying by hundreds of […]
source Stretch your money and beat high inflation with these 13 tips
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